Historic bridge to close for further lottery bid works

A 10-week series of closures of the iconic Union Chain Bridge will take place as progress is made on the second round National Lottery bid.

The intermittent closure begins on Monday, September 10, and runs from 9am to 5pm, with the bridge open at weekends.

Pedestrians and cyclists will continue to be able to use the bridge, which spans the River Tweed between England and Scotland, but may face short delays at times until it is safe to cross.

To minimise the impact for residents and nearby visitor attractions, and because of the nature of the works, there may be periods during this time when the road is open to all traffic and diversion and advance warning signs will notify drivers of this happening.

The works are required as part of an ambitious project to conserve the historic bridge, which is currently in a one-year development phase after initial support for National Lottery funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund was approved in March, securing a £360,000 development grant.

It meant the £7.3million project could be progressed further, ahead of a second-round submission.